The Pershamaiski
District Procuracy of Minsk refused to to initiate a criminal investigation
into the beating of a pensioner, Uladzimir Marozau, by police officers on 6
July.

The decision of the prosecutor's office, which has been recently received by the
applicant, informs that on 6 July, while patrolling the surroundings of the
National Library, where an unauthorized mass event was to take place, the
deputy chief of the Pershamaiski District Police Department of Minsk V. Shafikau
and police inspector P.Sadau notice that a man who was sitting on a bench
started falling down on the pavement. They reacted immediately and wanted to
prevent him from falling, for which they grabbed him by the hands. Then the
police fiction writers cynically describe that they were unable to prevent him
from falling and unsuccessfully tried to raise him after he fell on the ground.

According to the police, there followed a rapid development of events: Marozau
started actively waving his arms and legs, while maintaining silence, which
they took for signs of an epileptic attack. In order to prevent him from
injuring himself, they piled on top of the pensioner and kept him some time in
the supine position. Police officers state they hadn't delivered any blows and
hadn't used physical violence towards the pensioner.

The photo shows clearly how a police officer "saves" Marozau by
pressing the man's throat with his knee.

In many videos that are distributed on the Internet, it can be clearly seen and
heard that the victim was screaming and moaning from pain, and demanded to put an
end to violence to his person. There were large bruises on his hands resulting
from the painful holds used by the police. However, the Pershamaiski District
Procuracy of Minsk seems to have paid no interest to this video and numerous
photos, because they didn't need the truth. This is also confirmed by the
hypocritical statement of A.Sadouski, senior assistant prosecutor of the
Pershamaiski district, who writes that it was not possible to question Marozau
about the incident. In fact, the victim phoned to the assistant prosecutor
several times in order to give the appropriate testimony.

Moreover, the procuracy charged the administration of the Pershamaiski District
Police Department with holding a check-up on the assault on the pensioner.
Thus, the check-up was to be held by those who violated the law.

Earlier, commenting on the situation with Marozau, lawyer of the HRC "Viasna"
Valiantsin Stefanovich referred to Article 9 of the Law of the Republic of
Belarus "On Appeals of Citizens", according to which "it is
prohibited to transfer citizens' complaints to government bodies and other
organizations whose actions (inaction) are appealed" . The law mentions
only one exception – if the issue belongs to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
body. Human rights activist believes that by forwarding the complaint of
Uladzimir Marozau to the Pershamaiski District Police Department the
Pershamaiski District Procuracy committed a gross and outrageous violation of
the applicant's rights.